Mackenzie has a hard time relating to her friends from other schools when they mention hard-to-reach professors. That’s never been a problem for her at North Central College.

“My friends don’t know any of their professors and I often think about how much that must hinder their learning,” Mackenzie says. “I love knowing that my professors are available when I need extra help and that I’m not just a face. I’m a person they recognize and know by name.”

Mackenzie, a biology major, didn’t know exactly which field she wanted to go into when she arrived on campus. Since deciding to become a physician assistant, she says North Central’s faculty has “helped immensely with making sure I see my dreams through.”

“The pre-health advisor helped me plan classes and extracurricular activities so I can apply to a vast number of schools,” she says. “Becoming a physician assistant is all about helping people, and I learn so much about that from the people and professors around me at North Central.”